Which lab tests should be performed in infants with suspected chlamydial pneumonia?

In infants with suspected chlamydial pneumonia, perform a nasopharyngeal swab for Chlamydia culture. Currently available rapid tests
[37] are not approved for use on such specimens. In severe or complicated cases, consider sending bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for chlamydial culture as well. A complete blood count (CBC) revealing peripheral eosinophilia in the appropriate clinical situation is additional evidence supporting C trachomatis pneumonia.

Schmidt AJ, Marcus U. Self-reported history of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and STI-related utilization of the German health care system by men who have sex with men: data from a large convenience sample. BMC Infect Dis. 2011 May 18. 11:132. [Medline]. [Full Text].

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases surveillance 2011. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats11/surv2011.pdf.

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Chief Editor

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD David Ross Boyd Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Stewart G Wolf Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center; Master of the American College of Physicians; Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London

Mark R Schleiss, MD American Legion Chair of Pediatrics, Professor of Pediatrics, Division Director, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School